There, but not back
by sailorslytherin
Summary: Pippin and Merry discover that they're not the only hobbit friends of the Ents, rated PG for some naughty things later on, contains original characters
1. mmmm marshmellows

_After being kidnapped by a wild army of Sarumans' Uruk-Hai, Merry and Pippin escaped into Fangorn forest; woodland filled with anger and memory. In this forest the two meet Treebeard, an ent, and must convince him they're not orc spies. While Treebeard and a group of Ent's are deep in thought, they find that they're not the only hobbit friends of Treebeard…_

"What do you think they're saying Merry?"

"I dunno Pip, but I hope it's good."

The two captives, or orc spies (as Treebeard assumed) were deep in discussion about what these giant trees would do if they decided they were indeed, orc spies.

"Maybe they'll try to plant us, or eat us, or…"

"Pippin?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, oh right."

The two halflings looked over at the gathering of tall, short, bushy and bare trees that seemed to silence the rest of the still forest. Their leader Treebeard turned slowly to the hobbits and, after a painfully long intake of breath, said, "we have decided you are not orcs, so we shall call you…"

"TREEBEARD!!"

Both Merry and Pippin jumped at the yell that came from the forest across the clearing.

"Treebeard are you there?"

"Yes my little ones, come forth…" Treebeard replied to the voice.

"Little ones?" Pippin raised an eyebrow, "baby ents?"

"No no," laughed Surge, a gnarled, thin, old ent, "little hobbits!"

"Yes we are," said Merry confused.

"No no," he gave a low rumbling laugh, "they are."

Merry and Pippin turned to look where the voice had come echoing through the darkened woods. Next to Treebeard indeed stood two female hobbits. Pippin nudged Merry with his elbow.


	2. a pizzarea italiano witha flavor u can c

The first of the newly arrived duo was Ruby, dark red hair, shimmering with gold streaks, cascading down her shoulders. Her green eyes shining intensely under the full moon. She was dressed in a corset style green dress top with a beautiful silk skirt that was waving gently in the breeze. Ruby was in, what it seemed, deep conversation with Treebeard. 

The next of the two, Fae, looked quiet. She was observing her new surroundings as a newborn foal would its mother. She had hip length blond hair that sparkled more brilliantly than the stars that covered the sky. She was wearing a blue thigh length dress that matched with her sea blue eyes.

Both the girls had reasonably thin frames, (for hobbits!!), but their faces held a worried look. Merry and Pippin caught pieces of their conversation that drifted down to them on the wind, points that Ruby described while waving her arms around wildly. Obviously trying to make Treebeard and the others realise their troubles, "burning…death…animals…villages…" but then Ruby stopped talking as Treebeard had closed his eyes, sighed and replied, "I shall discuss it with the others."

"Holy Lembas," exclaimed Fae, "it'll take them all night!"

"Tell me about it," Ruby grumpily agreed, "and I haven't had anything to eat since second breakfast!"

"You should see how long it took them to decide if we were hobbits or orcs!"

The girls spun round to become face to face with the other two hobbits. And from the look on their faces, the had been oblivious to the fact their had been there.

"Oh…hi," Ruby said, after a painfully long silence. She opened her mouth to say something else, but abruptly shut it again.

"Sorry, you just gave us a fright," Fae said, watching her friends mouth open and close, "I'm Fae and this is Ruby," she exclaimed, pointing to her still wordless bud.


	3. mateys argh the pirate

"Er, oh, I'm Merry and this is Pippin, who seems to of lost his voice," Merry laughed, nudged him.

"Shut up!" Pippin blushed, nudging Merry back.  
"Orcs?" Ruby burst out.  
"Where!?!" said Pippin, looking madly around himself.

"No, they thought you were orcs?" Ruby laughed, suddenly realising how funny it was, "orcs??"

"Well, yeah," Pippin laughed, realising the funny side of the whole affair, "we were sort of captured by them, well their relatives Uruk-Hai, before Treebeard saved us from being eaten of course."

"Uruk-Hai?" questioned Fae, "what are they?"

"Well you know what orcs look like don't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"Well, they look like those."

"Except bigger, faster, meaner, smellier…" exclaimed Pippin.  
"Ok, ok!" Ruby said, giggling.

"Well I suppose we'd better get comfy, it could be a long night," sighed Pippin, glancing at the circle of talking trees.

"Folks at home would never believe this," Merry muttered.

"So, how do you two know Treebeard?" asked Pippin.

"Well, Fae and I have always been best friends, we're from the south of this very forest. We lived with our parents and the other villages. Our families travelled form place to place, kind of circus like," explained Ruby.  
"Well being adventurous kids we decided to go explore, 'don't go too far' mother would always say," Fae smiled fondly, "but of course we thought we could handle anything and went deep into the trees. In the depths the shadows seemed to move and it wasn't long before we realised we were lost, hopelessly lost!"

"Coldness and hunger set in," Ruby carried on," and we thought we'd never see the daylight again. We decided to take shelter in a near-by tree, and as we sat and pondered it began to move. It's twigs becoming great long fingers and the short stubby roots formed into toes."

"And that was Treebeard!" Fae concluded with a nod.


	4. ohhhhhhh who live sin a pineapple under ...

"Ok, well that's all very well, but how did you survive here in the woodlands?"

"Ah, yes, that was difficult. There was hardly any fresh water, let only food worthy of eating. And or chances of finding our families again were slim, so after discussing it with these lot," she swept her arm towards the circle of ents, "Treebeard helped us build a shelter not far from this very spot and taught us how to hunt."

"Yeah, and also which berries are good or bad!" frowned Fae, "also a lesson I learnt from personal experience."

"Yeah, that was a bad week," Ruby reflected, watching Pippin curiously.  
"What?" Pippin asked, chewing on his bottom lip.  
"Ah, nothing," she blushed.  
"Anyway what's your story?" Fae asked, interrupting the two, "I can't wait to hear it."  
"Well…" Merry said, unsure of how to start, but before long he and Pippin found themselves telling the two about their adventure with Frodo, the ring and the Dark Riders.

"And then we met you two," Pippin laughed.  
"Us? A whole adventure by itself!" Ruby exclaimed.

The four of them sat among some roots of a nearby tree and shared more stories and the little food any of them had. Watching the ents Ruby exclaimed, "looks like the discussions heating up."

"Yeah," replied Fae, as Surge stamped his foot, sending tremors through the hobbits, "they should learn to control their tempers."

"What are the talking about anyway?"

"The Dark Lord is rising, as I'm sure you already know, and there's a storm brewing on the horizon. Great power is awakening and we need the ents force to help protect not only the forest, but the free world," explained Ruby, who for the first time since Pippin met her, seemed vulnerable, she seemed so careless and loose. He could now truly see that even she carried troubles.


	5. chapter titles make me sigh

Pippin awoke with a start, 'dreams' he thought to himself. He had seen visions of Frodo and Sam near Mount Doom. "Humph, I'm hungry," he said in a sing-song voice, 'and all I have is dreams,' he thought grumpily. Merry, Fae and Ruby were all asleep. Ruby's head was gently resting on his shoulder. Pippin yawned, letting the sleep engulf him, weaving her inky black fingers over his eyes and pressing them shut, he fell into a dreamless slumber.

Something was wrong, digging, niggling at the back of Merrys' head. This thought brought him unwillingly from his deep sleep. He opened his, and blinked as they got used to the darkness that surrounded the woods, sneakily sliding through the trees. He tried to remember why he had woken. The ents looked disturbed. They were all sitting cross-legged, (or cross trunked as you'd say), deep in discussion and thought. He even thought he saw one asleep. "I wonder what time it is?" he wandered aloud.

"About midnight, I'd say," a voice answered sweetly.

He jumped and looked to see Fae smiling at him.

"Oh," was his only answer.

"Nice nap?"

"Mmm."

"Ah yes, one syllable answers, very 'in' this spring I hear," she laughed softly.

"Oh sorry, it's just that…" he trailed off.

"What?"

"Never mind."

Fae smiled and nudged him, "look," she nodded towards where Pippin and Ruby lay, their foreheads gently pressed together. Pippin was snoring. Merry yawned and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to find some water, I'm dying of thirst," he said, walking away.  
"Merry?"

"Yeah?" he turned around.  
"There's a river in that direction," she pointed opposite of where he was heading.

"Oh, thank you," he bowed slightly, as hobbit custom, and before Fae could ask anymore, he was gone.


	6. is samwise, wise as they say, hmmm i pon...

Merry heard the river before he saw it. He came to a stony clearing where the brilliant blue ribbon of water, (now looking inky dark), was swiftly flowing past the blue-grey rock face. He scrambled down the bank, towards the edge of the water and dipped his hands in. He bought them back up and poured the liquid down his throat. The water felt like ice hitting his tongue and it flew like quicksilver down his dry throat. It had been long since he had had such fresh water. He took the flask from his back pocket and filled it to the brim.

Decided to take a little walk, he set off upstream. Leaving his jacket as to mark where he started, he began the journey.

Fae stared into the clearing where Merry had exited to walk to the river, 'it has been a while,' she thought nervously, 'I hope he's ok.' She tapped Ruby, "Ruby! Wake up," she whispered, (quite loudly!). The only reply she got was a wave of the arms as she snuggled up against Pippin.

"Fine, I'll go alone!" she said heatedly. Stomping past the group of trees, she rudely stuck out her tongue back at Ruby and slunk away into the inky blackness of the night.


	7. these titles have NOTHING to do with the...

'Air…I need air,' Merrys brain told him, 'no, no, it's too hard, but I need it so bad.' Coughing and spluttering he sat up, regurgitating what seemed like endless amounts of the cool liquid. His wet, icy cold clothes clung to his body. "What the…" he blinked, looking around himself to try get his bearings. It was a part of the woods much different to that he had been in. It was darker, spooky almost. Big, black trees loomed over him, outstretching their branches as if to catch him. The stars weren't visible, nor the moon. The last thing he could remember was walking near the river, 'oh! I must of slipped, maybe I knocked my head, because it seems I can't remember much else,' he realised, "and now it seems I'm lost."

"Not entirely."

Merry jumped to his feet, joints aching, "who said that?" he demanded.

"I did," the voice said.

"Where are you?"

"Right here," the voice teased.

"I can't see you!" yelled Merry, "show yourself!"

"Oh alright," it sounded defeated, "I'm only having fun, I don't get many visitors you see."

"I still can't see you," he looked around himself, there was no sign of life, "come on!!" he yelled at nothing.

'No need to shout, I'm right here," said the voice, it came from behind him, he spun around looking wildly from side to side.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" he yelled.

"I think it is, I'm having fun," the voice gurgled in his ear, it almost sounded nasty.

"Please who are you?' Merry was exhausted, "I just need yo get back to the others…"

"Not a chance," then everything went black…


	8. life aint a garden so top being a HOE he...

_*~* Start Flashback *~*_

Fae sat next to the dark ribbon of liquid that was violently rising. Sighing, she looked back and forth as if Merry would come plodding along any minute now. 

"That water level is rising quickly," she said aloud, a hint of worry in her voice, "but I'm sure he's just fine, probably off somewhere getting some food or something."

She frowned and chewed on her bottom lip, 'oh dear oh dear oh dear,' she thought, as hobbits aren't the most adventurous creatures, even Ruby and Fae (who had had a fair few adventures) weren't keen on walking this forest at night. 

So off stomped Fae, upstream, to see if Merry could be anywhere to be found. As she cautiously picked her way through loose rocks and dirt, all the time singing a song her mother had taught her:

_Earth, water, sand and stone_

_Over, under, onward home,_

_'Till we come to journeys end,_

_Brown and golden paths ahead,_

_By the rain or by the snow,_

_Over, under we will go,_

_And earth, water, sand and stone,_

Shall help us all as home we go… 

This singing, (as to keep herself company), went on until she saw a dark figure not too far away.

"Merry?" she cried out, cupping her hands around her mouth, "MEEERRRR-EEEEEYYYY?"

The figure jumped and turned, but caught his foot at an odd angle. Tumbling head over heels, Fae watched in horror as her newfound friend went plummeting head first into the river.

_*~* End Flashback *~*_


	9. my train of thought derailed and killed ...

Ruby sat up stiffly and stretched. Standing up, she saw the milky pink and yellow of the beginning of dawn. Yawning loudly and scratching her elbow, the thought suddenly hit her, 'I'm all alone.'

And indeed she was. Confused, she began to search around the base of the tree that she had just awoken from. Indeed there were signs of life, such as four hobbit-sized imprints in the grass that showed they had been there. But there was no sign of Pippin, Merry or Fae.

"Oh great Lothlorien," she scowled, "they better not of left me here with ol' Slow Roots…" she trailed off, 'where in all Middle Earth did the ents' go?'

Feeling rather discouraged she sat back down and placed her head in her hands, "what am I to do now?"

Fae was now sitting on the ledge of a small cliff that overhung a hollow of the rivers edge. Though the sun would be rising soon, this part would stay dark for a lot of the day. She peered from behind her hiding place, (a bush of red and green) to see Merry laying, soaking wet, on the ground. She knew all too well what this place was, _Melans' lair_.


	10. jimm jimmine jimm jimmennnnyyyyy shim sm...

"Well, well, well my halfling friend," the voice said in a jolly fashion, "into my lair you seemed to have slipped, and out of it you shall not reach…"

Merry groaned and opened his eyes. The world seemed just as dark out from behind his eyelids.

"Where…where am I?"

"In Melans' house, Melans' house, watch me creep as quietly as a mouse, no eye nor eye or friend nor foe sees' me creeping to and fro. Into Melans' house you are…" it sung in a sickly sweet voice.

"Melan?" Merry squinted into the darkness, "I don't see you anywhere."

"Ah small one, the time shall come. Until then you shall wait, I'm mighty hungry and you look like a tasty snack."

Merrys' eyes widened in fear, "no, no, I don't think so, you see hobbits are all water, hardly any liquid. Too sickly as well, from all the sweets of the Shire."

"Never mind lovely…I'm sure you'll be a tasty treat for my tired feet," it sung again.

"No hobbits are thick skinned, terrible to boil."

"More like thick skulled my precious, lying won't get you any further from my lair than flying, which I'm sure you can't do."

Merry whimpered loudly.


End file.
